Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Brochures Winter & Spring 2018 | Page 73

MEET "OPIE," THE VIRGINIA OPOSSUM!
Opie came to us this year from an animal control agency near Lacrosse,
Wisconsin. A Good Samaritan found him, the only surviving opossum among
the eight discovered next to his dead mother (who was struck by a car),
and took him to a certified wildlife rehabilitator. While being rehabilitated,
it became apparent that Opie would not be a good candidate for release
into the wild; he was far too accustomed to humans. Upon reviewing an
x-ray from a routine physical, the examining veterinarian discovered a bullet
was lodged in his chest (but not in a critical location), likely the result of his
mother having been shot while he was in her pouch.
The Virginia opossum, Didelphis virginiana, is the only marsupial native to
North America. The word “opossum” is derived from the Algonquian word
“apasum,” meaning “white beast.” Australian “possums” are very different
from our native marsupial and scientists distinguish this difference by
omitting the “o” in their name.
Being a marsupial, the opossum gives birth only twelve days after conception to very small young, each about the
size of a bee. These young (still fetuses) crawl into their mother’s pouch, latch onto one of her 13 nipples, and mature
over the course of two months, then begin to emerge with increasing frequency for another month or two before
venturing out permanently.
Opossums have made some remarkable adaptations that are of great interest to the scientific community. They
possess a natural immunity to rabies that is unique among mammals. It is believed their body temperature may be
a factor. Opossums sustain a lower body temperature than that of most mammals (90°-99°), creating an unsuitable
environment for the virus.
Creature Feature: Opie
Opossums are also immune to the venom of most North American snakes such as copperheads, cottonmouths and
rattlesnakes; part of their normal diet. A unique protein in their blood provides this immunity.
Like human communities, Nature also needs “sanitation workers” and “pest control,” and the opossum fills those roles well. They
are omnivorous, eating almost any sort of animal: slugs, snails, cockroaches and other “pest” insects, mice, rats...even road kill.
Although opossums may not be the brightest members of the animal world, they do demonstrate a few remarkable traits, one
of which is their excellent memory. They have the ability to remember where they have cached unconsumed food (“stashing”).
Other than primates, opossums are the only animals with opposable first toes, or “thumbs” (on their rear feet). Among other
things, this makes them great climbers.
Here are some more interesting facts about the opossum:
» » Their semi-prehensile tails not only allow opossum babies to briefly hang from branches, but they also use them to carry
bundles of grass or leaves for their temporary nests. Contrary to popular lore, adult opossums do not hang from trees by
their tails, as sometimes depicted; they are not strong enough to support a mature adult's weight. For the most part, their
tails are used for balance when climbing, walking, or running - almost like a fifth appendage.
» » They possess very large pupils that help them see well at night.
» » They have the most impressive mouthful of teeth of any North American mammal – 50 of them!
» » Other than a threatening show of those 50 teeth, opossums also utilize defense mechanisms such as yawning, gnashing
their teeth, growling, urinating, excreting foul-smelling anal fluid...and when those fail, “playing dead” (going into a catatonic
state and working their jaws to cause saliva to foam from their mouths and noses).
» » Male opossums are called “jacks,” females, “jills,” and the young are referred to as “joeys.” A group of opossums is a “passel.”
» » The Virginia opossum is immensely hel pful in the control of the spread of Lyme Disease. Meticulously clean by nature,
they keep themselves well-groomed, consuming the disease-bearing ticks they’ve accumulated while walking along the
forest floor.
Opie is now a big hit at the WDC and comes out regularly to meet visitors. Come see for yourself why everyone loves him!
Recently, the WDC rescued a second possum; a female named “Opal.” Watch for her story in another brochure!
w w w. LF Pa r k s a nd Re c . co m
71